"The Wrath of the Moon"
An Emperor's New Groove Fanfic by:
JessieofTR (Megan Clifton)

Chapter 8
"The Surprise"

Kuzco slowly woke up the next morning, yawning. He had nearly forgot that today was his birthday in all the confusion. His confusion. So many things were happening at once, he was falling in love, his birthday was today, he needed to choose a bride, he had had that dream...that dream...Well, nothing had happened so far, so that was all a good sign, he thought, as there was a knock on the door.

"Your highness?" A gaurd's voice nearly shouted.

Oh, crap!! Kuzco thought, and ran to the door. If Raina heard that...

"Your highness?" The gaurd knocked again, and Kuzco flung his door open.

"WHAT!? What do you WANT!?" He snapped.

"So sorry, Emperor Kuzco...I..."

Kuzco stopped him. "No-no-no. While I'm here, I'm Kanco, and I'm not the emperor....er..yet.."

The gaurd blinked, incredably baffled.

Kuzco sighed. "Look, just...don't....don't mention me being an emperor and all that crap, ok? And don't ask....just don't do it..." He rolled his eyes and walked past him to Raina's room. He kneeled beside her bed and shook her gently like yesterday. "Raina wake up...."

"Why?" She asked, half alseep.

"Cause...I'm taking you somewhere.."

Raina opened her eyes. "Where?"

Kuzco just grinned. "It's a surprise....and I want to show you something, too..."

"What?"

Kuzco laughed. "You ask too many questions...come on, now. You're gonna ruin it..." He took her hand and she got out of bed. He left the room so she could get dressed and then joined her outside.

"Here.." He took a cloth and tied it around her eyes, so she couldn't see.

Raina giggled. "Kanco...you don't have to do that..."

"Yes, I do..." He laughed, and walked her over to a litter and sat her down. He snapped his fingers and a few gaurds hoisted it up.

Raina smiled and looked around. "I still wanna know where I'm going..." She lifted the cloth up slightly, but Kuzco pulled it back down.

"No touchy...you'll ruin the surprise!" he laughed. Yeah, the surprise you may either hate me for the rest of our lives, or reply to it with a positive attitude...I'm hoping for choice B...

Meanwhile, Xema was preparing her potion for that night, and was mumbling to herself. "That girl's been gone for two days now.....if I found out she was at the palace, I'll..." She raised her head and looked out the window, hearing talking. She got there in time to see the litter passing by, but couldn't make out the girl since a gaurd was in the way. "That looks like Raina..." She stared. "But who's she with?" She stared at the peasent boy. He seemed too familiar. She shrugged. "No matter...I have to get my work done.." She snarled and went back to the potion. She began working on it alittle more, but kept thinking about what mischeif Raina was up to. She growled and stood up. "Zelma!"

Zelma's head shot up. "Huh?"

"I want you to go to the palace..."

"The...palace!?" Zelma stared.

"Yes...if you see any...and I mean ANY sign of Raina there at all, you are to come back here immidiatlely and tell me, understood?"

"Aww....but why do I?"

"DO IT!!!!!" Xema bellowed, and quite intimmidated, Zelma ran out.

The palace was soon coming into view, and Kuzco bit his lip as it did, his anxiousness and nervousness growing more intense. Please, Inti and Viracocha... He begged silently to the Gods. Don't let her hate me, please don't let her hate me...

"Where are we? Are we almost there?" Raina asked.

"Yes, almost..." He smiled alittle, trying to calm himself down.

Soon they arrived, and Kuzco helped Raina down from the litter. He brought her inside the palace and she stood in the main hall. "Are we there?" She asked. "Can I take this thing off now?"

"Not yet..." He said. "Hold on, alright?" He said, and went to go change into his red robes.

"Well, when can I take it off?" She asked, but he was gone. "Kanco? Kanco? Where'd you go?"

Kuzco soon came back, wearing his robes. He swallowed nervously and placed his crown on his head. "Alright....now you can.." He smiled and untied it for her.

The moment Raina opened her eyes she gasped, and looked around. "This place is so...BEAUTIFUL! Is this the palace? Oh, Kanco...I.." She turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw Kuzco all dressed up. "Kanco?" She stared.

Kuzco smiled slightly and looked at the ground. "Yeah...um...Raina...I have a confession to make.." He walked towards her and took her hands. "This...this place...is the palace and um...I'm...I'm not a peasent..." He looked away.

Raina stared. "Then...."

"Yeah.." Kuzco cleared his throat. "..and my name isn't even Kanco....it's...it's Kuzco....Emperor...Kuzco..." He looked at the ground.

Raina's eyes widened even more, and she gasped. She slowly shook her head, as if in shock.

"Yeah...I'm sorry I lied to you...I didn't want to scare you off...."

"Scare me off!?" She somewhat glared at him. "Why didn't you just tell me you were the emperor from the start!?"

"Raina.....I'm sorry...."

"Did you really think I was stupid!?"

"Well...no..." Kuzco stared, and looked at the ground. "Look...I said I was sorry....but that all doesn't matter now....what matters is that..."

Raina just shook her head, and broke free of Kuzco's grasp. "I'm sorry..." She said, turning and running out the palace in tears.

Kuzco stared after her with a sad expression. He sighed, and leaned against a wall. He knew it would work out this way, he just knew it. He banged his head, and clutched it like her hurt it. Dumb thing to do. He turned around. "Why the hell was I so STUPID!?" He growled. "I could have told her everything from the begining and now because of that, she hates me...." He sighed. "Maybe it's for the best....she doesn't deserve someone like me...." He sighed, and walked off through the palace.

Raina ran down the streets of the marketplace, not stopping. Zelma eyed her from the sides as she left the palace, binoculars in hand. "There...." She snickered to herself. "I've got her...."

Raina kept running, and didn't stop until she arrived at her ranch. Xema noticed her enter, but Raina didn't seem to notice Xema sitting there mixing a huge cauldron with green junk in it. She ran to her room and threw herself on the bed. Xema watched her and eyed her. "Funny..." She said to herself. "I'll find out what that girl was up to..."

Raina continued to cry and cry and cry. He's the emperor....all this time he was the emperor and I didn't know it... She thought to herself. Why was I so stupid? Why did I run away? I could have stayed there and told him I loved him and we'd be living happily ever after, but I paniced....oh, Inti...he's the emperor... She sobbed. I'll never have a chance with him now....never!!! She continued crying, and soon cried herself to sleep.

Kuzco sighed as he walked into the dining room, and suddenly everyone in there jumped up and shouted. "SURPRISE!" Kuzco was taken aback. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOUR HIGHNESS!!" They shouted. Kuzco stared. There were streamers, a big cake with 19 candles, a banner, and everything was decorated so much. He had even got more presents than he did last year. But none of this mattered to him. He sighed.

"Party's over, guys...." He walked sadly past them.

The TTWSU stared after him with a goofy looking party hat on his head. "Sire...what's wrong?"

"I'm not in the mood right now....I'm sorry...." He slowly walked to his room, and fell on his bed, face first. For the first time since his parents died, and the llama incedent, he started to cry. He had hurt Raina....and nothing else mattered to him right then than her. He had hoped they were going to go back to the palace, and she would smile at him, like she usually did, and he would tell her "I love you," but he never got a chance. He had blown his chance. And why? He was too stupid and stubborn to tell her who he was in the beggining! He had hoped that they would celebrate his birthday together, and perhaps even make love together that night...then, he would make wedding plans, and they would get married, and everything would be perfect...so perfect...they would start a family and his son or daughter would be the next emperor or empress....and Raina would forever be his empress. He started to sob harder. But he was stupid...he had his chance and blew it...

Kuzco continued to sob to himself. "I love you, Raina....." He said out loud, as if hoping it would reach her somehow. "I love you so much..." He continued to cry, and soon, as Raina did, cried himself to sleep....